Claw Removal in Cats

Thirty-one percent of cat owners in the United States have their cats declawed, according to the Partnership for Animal Welfare. Declawing is not just the removal of the claws, but a series of amputations of the last bone of each of the front toes. Declawing cats is a controversial practice that is painful for the animal, can result in complications and behavioral problems and deprives them of the ability to protect themselves.

  1. Pain

    • According to The Paw Project, declawing is such a predictably painful procedure that it is used to test new pain medications and treatments. The human equivalent of declawing would be amputating every finger at the last knuckle. According to veterinarian Kip Lemke, declawing is given a "severe pain" designation, as opposed to "moderate pain" with spaying, and "mild pain" with neutering.

    Complications

    • Complications of declawing can include excruciating pain, hemorrhage, radial nerve damage, painful re-growth of the claw under the skin, infection from bone chips, lameness, abscess and chronic joint and back pain, according to the declawing.com. Additionally, general anesthesia is generally used for this surgery, which can cause disability or death.

    Altered Behavior

    • Declawing can result in a number of behavioral changes including biting and urinating or defecating outside the litter box. Compared with clawed cats, declawed cats are 18.5 percent more likely to be problem biters, according to The Paw Project. They are 15.6 percent more likely to avoid their litter box.

    Training

    • Many cats can be trained not to claw furniture and people with simple reward-based methods, according to Vet Info. Providing adequate surfaces for scratching can help the cat learn where clawing is allowed. Trimming your cat's nails can minimize clawing damage. Claw covers that attach to the tips of the cat's claws with an adhesive are also a good alternative to declawing.

    Campaign Against Convenience Surgeries

    • In 2009, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association launched a campaign against surgeries like declawing. These surgeries are performed for the convenience of the owner, offer no medical benefit to the animal and can cause significant harm. Other surgeries the HSVMA are campaigning against include tail docking, ear cropping and devocalization.